








































Interest Group Reports Pubic Service 


13

Public Services
David Schmersal, Wright Learning and Information Center, Austin
Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Secretary

MEMBERS PRESENT

• Allison Graham, Wright Library, Princeton Theological 
Seminary

• Virginia Dearborn, Wright Library, Princeton Theological 
Seminary

• Dee Roberts, Pitts Theology Library, Emory University
• Susanne Ridenour, Knott Library, St. Mary’s Seminary and 

University

ABSENTEE MEMBERS

• (208 others)

AGENDA

1) Welcome new members and briefly describe the nature and 
scope of the interest group

2) Debrief 2024 Atla annual conference, specifically the ses 
sion sponsored by PSIG

3) Propose and discuss ideas for a session at the 2025 Atla 
annual conference

4) Custodianship of Atla’s Websites on Religion Libguide
5) Check-in/round robin

YEAR IN REVIEW

Members of the PSIG planned and sponsored a session offered as 
a panel presentation at the 2024 Atla Annual Conference entitled 
“How Doomed Are We?: A Philosophical/Theological Consideration 
of AI/ChatGPT in Relation to Theological Libraries and Theological 
Education.” The presenters were:



14    ANNUAL Y E ARBOOK

Allison Graham, Reference and Research Librarian, Princeton 
Theological Seminary

Brady Alan Beard, Ph.D., Reference and Instruction Librarian, 
Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

Emily Peterson, Director of Public Services, John Bulow Campbell 
Library

David Schmersal, Access and Instruction Librarian, Austin 
Presbyterian Theological Seminary

There was also some discussion of our custodianship of Atla’s 
Websites on Religion Libguide https://atla.libguides.com/WOR 

ROUND ROBIN REPORTS

Princeton Seminary – Princeton is now offering two new degree-
programs, a Master of Arts in Theology (Justice and Public Life) and 
a Master’s in Theology, Ecology, and Faith Formation. The Wright 
Library has also hired two new staff members and has two open- 
ings. The library has a new website that is now incorporated into the 
Seminary’s website. They are no longer loading e-book and e-journal 
records into the catalog and have switched to having them loaded 
directly into Summon.

St. Mary’s Seminary and University - Knott Library has a small 
staff but is the largest theological library in the area, serving both 
seminarians and the wider community. Staff have been preparing 
instruction and information literacy programs for the fall.

Candler School of Theology, Emory University - Candler has begun 
offering a hybrid MDiv degree. Pitts has recently hired an Online 
Learning Librarian focused on digital pedagogy. Pitts is offering two 
research fellowships, the Kessler fellowship and the Morgan English 
Bible and Psalmody fellowship (in collaboration with Columbia). 
Pitts has begun an Outreach Student Advisory committee, which will 
seek to find ways to connect students in EmoryUniversity’s Religion 
department with Candler’s collections. Pitts has also re-formed its 
friends of the library group.

https://atla.libguides.com/WOR 


Interest Group Reports    15

OTHER

Our small group discussed programming ideas to pursue, or advocate, 
as an interest group, focused on building community within Atla 
and offering professional development opportunities. One sugges- 
tion is developing a shared virtual reference platform that would 
be staffed by theological librarians and available to all students at 
Atla member seminaries (and possibly other students and mem-
bers of the public). Since many students are able to attend classes 
remotely and thus do not necessarily live in the same time zone as 
their home libraries, this would allow students to obtain reference 
and research assistance from librarians who are in the same time 
zone (or, if students are working late, still be able to contact a theo-
logical librarian when the staff at their home institutions may have 
signed off for the day). Natalie from Atla noted that the reciprocal 
borrowing program provides an option for students to have access 
to participating local theological libraries. We also discussed the pos-
sibility of creating a guide to share best practices for training student 
workers, the desire to engage Atla members through more casual 
connections (for example, through an Atla Discord server), and the 
need for outreach to library schools to recruit the next generation 
of theological librarians.


